Ronald Berk

FAMOUS QUOTES BY SOUTHWEST AIRLINE FLIGHT ATTENDANTS: 

During Preparation for Take-Off

"Welcome aboard Southwest Flight whatever. To operate your seatbelt, insert the metal tab into the buckle, and pull tight. If you don't know how to operate a seatbelt, you probably shouldn't be out in public unsupervised."  

"In the event of a sudden loss in cabin pressure, margarine cups will descend from the ceiling. Stop screaming, grab the cup, and pull it over your face. If you are traveling with two small children, decide now which one you love more." 

After a Very Hard Landing

"Ladies and gentlemen, please remain in your seats with your seatbelts fastened as our captain taxis what's left of our aircraft to the gate." 

"We ask you to please remain seated as Captain Kangaroo bounces us to the terminal."

 

These examples of humor and sense of "fun" by Southwest employees are ingrained in their corporate culture.  

YOU can do this. I know you can. Appropriate, nonoffensive humor can be tacked on to any serious message. Did you know that the research has found that humor has 35 benefits for your institution and the mental and physical health of every employee, including increased productivity, retention, and morale, and decreased absenteeism, stress, and anxiety? 

 It's a WIN-WIN for everyone. The "HUMOR PROFESSOR" will take you on an hilarious romp to discover these benefits and help you produce them in your own institution.  

THE HUMOR CONNECTION:

RON is one of the premier international speakers on the circuit. But so what? What can he do for you? He can create a Broadway-type production with humor, music, sound effects, videos, games, and props on each of his topics. His high-energy, creative, theatrical productions will keep your audience enthralled in the topic. The production moves at supersonic, twitch Tina Fey-like editing speed. He will motivate, inspire, and entertain, while informing.

Ron will custom-tailor a production to YOUR specifications on these topics and others:

• Professors Are from Mars, Students Are from Snickers: Top 10 evidence-based humor techniques teachers can use to connect with this Net Generation of students
• Humor as a Corporate Defibrillator: Top 50 humor techniques to resuscitate managers, trainers, and employees to attain peak performance and productivity
• Humor as a Weapon to Thwart Cross-Generational Combat: Top 10 humor tools to understand, leverage, and celebrate generational differences
• Do Your Issues Have Issues? Stress Is Just Sserts Spelled Backwards: Top 10 humor strategies to beat disappointment, rejection, and failure before it beats you to a pulp like Rocky
• It's About Time You Had More Time to Do What You Want: Top 10 time and meeting management principles that can make or break your career
• Why Are You Here? Finding Your Passion and Unique Purpose in a Career: Top 5 secret tips for discovering your unique purpose on earth and picking the right career to realize your potential

WHO ARE YOU GOING TO BELIEVE?

"Ron Berk's keynotes and workshops at our conferences have been widely acclaimed. He has educated, enthralled, and entertained audiences of up to 2,000 participants. He can introduce humour into his presentations whilst at the same time communicating key messages grounded in research. He is the only speaker we have invited again and again. Ron Berk must be included in the top 5% of speakers on the international scene."
Professor Ronald M. Harden, Association for Medical Education in Europe (AMEE), University of Dundee, SCOTLAND, UK

"We laughed until we cried, jumped up and danced--and it's all on film! We liked him so much, we asked him back for our meeting this year on Assessing Outcomes and Performance."
Sharon B. Buchbinder, Professor and Chair, Department of Health Science, Towson University, MD

"He is an electrifying lecturer that captures the hearts and minds of the audience. He showed that good will, laughter, and high spirits know no borders; nor bounds of race, nation, ideology, or religion. ."
Vukadin Milanov, President, International Medical Students' Congress, University of Novi Sad, SERBIA

MORE ABOUT RON:

He is Professor Emeritus and former Assistant Dean for Teaching at The Johns Hopkins University. Ron has been a teacher, writer, and researcher for 41 years, from elementary school teacher to assessment specialist to university professor and assistant dean to professional speaker. He also did a stint in the Federal Witness Protection Program under the name Puffy Snoop M & M.

Ron has given hundreds of keynotes and workshops at institutions in 40 states and 12 countries, including Canada, Czech Republic, Germany, Italy, The Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Serbia, Sweden, United Arab Emirates, and United Kingdom (Scotland). Once he presented a "humor keynote" to medical professors and students in Serbia, he says, "I can find the humor sweet spot in most any audience." He speaks at conferences, business meetings, retreats, awards ceremonies, graduations, picnics, bar mitzvahs, and cruises.

He is totally ashamed of himself for destroying scores of trees and shrubbery by publishing 13 books, including Professors Are from Mars, Students Are from Snickers, Top Secret Tips for Successful Humor in the Workplace, and The Five-Minute Time Manager for College Students, plus 140 articles and book chapters.

TOP 10 REASONS TO HIRE RON: 

10. He is not only funny, he's CLEAN FUNNY; NO profanity, vulgarity, or blue material that could offend your audience; 

 9. His "culture-free humor" connects with people from all over the world; 

 8. He models what he teaches by engaging your audience throughout the presentation; 

 7. His presentations are SUPER-SIZED with state-of-the-art, evidence-based content, plus humor, music, and videos;  

 6. He uses his multiple intelligences to never insult yours; he is clever, insightful, and very imaginative;

 5. He custom-tailors his Broadway production to fit your specifications (length, content, media, audience size and composition, venue, etc.); NO canned speeches;  

 4. He prepares everything for you--publicity info., handouts, intro. and closing remarks, lighting and sound scripts for technicians, etc.; 

 3. Your audience will exit turbo-charged with concrete techniques they can't wait to implement immediately;  

 2. He's the consummate professional--responsive to your every need, but also fun to work with; 

AND THE #1 REASON TO HIRE RON:
 1. He is one of the few speakers with a MONEY-BACK GUARANTEE--If he doesn't deliver the goods to your satisfaction, you don't pay.

MORE RAVE REVIEWS:

"Ron Berk´s multimedia presentations are extremely professional, and they are given with great commitment. Since the content is of really high quality, the audience learns a lot, despite laughing most of the time. This is the most enjoyable way of learning anyone can experience."
Christina Stage, Professor, Dept. of Educational Measurement, Umea University, SWEDEN

"I was pleased to see that Ron made a point of defining (and having us define) what kinds of humor are appropriate and what kinds of humor are never appropriate."
H. Cristina Geiger, Director, Teaching & Learning Center, SUNY at Geneseo, NY

"Ron's workshop exceeded my expectations. It was the most informative and entertaining workshop I have ever attended. He packed a lot on a dry topic into a 3-hour workshop with amusing Broadway tunes, pop music, and Hollywood films. The effectiveness of the workshop crossed cultural boundaries; professors from all over Europe and Asia seemed to benefit."
Ming-Jung Ho, Assistant Professor, Dept. of Social Medicine, National Taiwan University, TAIWAN

"Ron Berk's information on the Net Generation and the multimedia techniques to teach them was right on target for these K-12 classroom teachers. His use of humor, music, videos, and games was entertaining and extremely useful. Ron's techniques are very creative and imaginative and kept the audience engaged and interested."
Donna L. Manering, Program Development Director, llinois Education Association, IL

"Ron Berk is one of the funniest people I know. If you get the chance to go to one of his keynotes, or, even better, a workshop, GO. Ron can bring to light any topic and can teach you techniques for using humour to brighten up the dullest of subjects."
David Wall, Deputy Regional Postgraduate Dean, West Midlands Deanery, Birmingham, ENGLAND, UK

"The faculty truly enjoyed and learned a great deal from Ron's entertaining, high-energy keynote on 'Humor in the Workplace.'  I've received many positive comments from faculty. Even an administrator who works with a young group of professionals said she plans to implement several of his suggestions with her staff. Ron, thanks again for a terrific keynote!"
Allison D. Garrett, Vice President for Academic Affairs, Oklahoma Christian University, OK

"Ron Berk has been a featured speaker at our annual conferences for more than a decade. Each year Ron takes an important current topic and by using various forms of media such as music and videos in his PowerPoint presentations, as well as his own truly enjoyable sense of humor, helps the audience to learn and develop their skills while enjoying themselves. Ron has the ability to engage his audience and present technical information in a way that is meaningful and memorable."
Richard G. Allan, Vice President for Instructional Development, Evaluation Systems Group of Pearson, Amherst, MA

"Dr. Berk was a sensational keynote and workshop speaker at the 6th Gulf Cooperative Council Medical Students Scientific Conference in Al Ain. His obvious zest for communication, his great sense of humor, and his genuine dedication to the students place him unequivocally in the Premier League of Great Teachers. Thank you, Ron!"
George Carruthers, Professor and Dean, Faculty of Medicine & Health Sciences, United Arab Emirates University, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES

"We truly loved Dr. Ron Berk's keynote. I hope these words can express what his presentation meant to our audience. He provided an excellent balance of research, facts, and a fascinating sense of humour!  He stimulated their minds, inspired, entertained, and definitely challenged them to look beyond..."
Anne-Friederike Huebener, Programme and Logistics Coordinator, 18th European (Biomedical) Students' Conference, Berlin, GERMANY

"I came away from Ron's keynote with a much richer appreciation for the use of multimedia in the classroom to reach the Net Generation. Additionally, I haven't laughed that hard in a LONG time. What a GREAT session!!!!"
Claire Biancalana, Executive Secretary, California Community College Chief Instructional Officers Conference, Monterey, CA

"Ron's keynote was one of the best I have ever seen in my life. I can remember most of what he said. The ideas were wonderful! The most impressive point that I had never seen anywhere else was his eye contact with all of the students. I was there with my brother and I was thinking how he can make all of these people so calm and relaxed with just one look. I learned so many things from him..."
Afsaneh Morteza, Medical Student, Tehran University of Medical Science, IRAN

"Professor Ron Berk, in defining 'your purpose in medicine,' that would be boring, I thought. And wow, was I surprised. I never thought I could get my mind on track so fast and so smoothly. He presents so well--he is entertaining, even talking serious business; inspiring, but still demanding active audience involvement. His keynote is a must for every student."
Marcin Wasko, Medical Student, Jagiellonian University, Cracow, POLAND

"Ron's keynote was the best I have ever seen in my life. I think no one should miss his lectures and workshops full of humour and memorable information. If you have the opportunity to attend one of his lectures, you'll see...."
Ruxandra Sfetcu, Medical Student, Western University of Arad, ROMANIA  

LIST OF RECENT CLIENTS: 

PROFESSIONAL CONFERENCES

National and International

• American Educational Research Association
• Association for Applied and Therapeutic
    Humor
• Association for Medical Education in
    Europe
  • Humboldt University of Berlin Medical School
  • University of Lisbon Faculty of Science
  • University of Edinburgh Medical School
  • Vrije Universiteit of Amsterdam
  • Cotone Congressi of Genoa
  • Norwegian University of Science and
    Technology of Trondheim
  • Prague Congress Centre, Czech Republic
• Association of College Educators - - Deaf
    & Hard of Hearing (San Antonio, TX)
• Association of Test Publishers (FL)
• Association of University Programs in Health
    Administration (FL)
• (Canadian) Society for Teaching and
     Learning in Higher Education
  • University of Calgary
  • McMaster University
  • University of British Columbia
• California Community College Chief Instructional
    Officers Fall Conference (Monterey)
• CASMA-ACT Invitational Conference
    on Current Challenges in Educational
    Testing, University of Iowa
• Closing the Gap: Practical Strategies for All
    Educators (IL)
• Erma Bombeck Conference on Popular
    American Humor (University of Dayton)
• European (Medical) Students' Conference
     (Charite, Humboldt University Medical School of Berlin)
• International Conference on College
    Teaching and Learning (Jacksonville, FL)
• International Humor Project Conference
    on the Positive Power of Humor and
    Creativity (NY)
• International Medical Student Congress (Novi Sad,
    Serbia)
• International Scientific Conference for Medical Students in
    the GCC Countries (UAE)
• International Society for Exploring
    Teaching and Learning
• International Society for Humor Studies
    Conference
• Leiden International Medical Student Conference (The
    Netherlands)
• Lilly Conference on College Teaching
    (Oxford, OH)
• Lustrum 20th Anniversary Conference of
    the Faculty of Educational Science and
    Technology, University of Twente
    (Enschede, The Netherlands)
• Mosby's Faculty Development Institute for
    Nurse Educators (Williamsburg, VA)
• National Congress on Examinations
    (Nederlandse Examen Vereniging,
    Enschede, The Netherlands)
• National Council on Measurement in
    Education
• National Evaluation Systems
• National League for Nursing Education
    Summit
• NISOD International Conference on Teaching &
    Leadership Excellence (TX)
• Professional and Organizational
    Development (POD) Network in Higher
    Education
• Teaching/Learning Conference on
    Teaching and Technology (Ashland, KY) 

Regional and State

•  Association of Faculties for the Advancement of
    Community College Teaching (Columbia, MD)
• Case Management Conference at Southern Indiana
    College of Nursing and Health Professions (Evansville)
• CELT/Ohio Learning Network Seminar (Miami U.)
• Connecticut Consortium for Enhancing
    Learning and Teaching (Hartford)
• Consortium for Chiropractic Research (CA)
• Florida Higher Education Consortium/Area
    Centers for Educational Enhancement
    (Rollins College)
• Florida Region III Higher Education
    Consortium (Daytona Beach)
• Georgia Association of Teacher Educators
• Lilly-East Conference on College
    Teaching and Learning
• Lilly-North Conference on College
    Teaching and Learning (Traverse City, MI)
• Maine School Superintendents' Conference (Bar Harbor)
• Michigan Association for the Education of
    Young Children (Grand Rapids)
• Mid-Atlantic Personnel Assessment
    Consortium
• Mid-South Educational Research
    Association
• Minnesota Health Educator Conference
• Minnesota State Colleges and Universities
    Center for Teaching and Learning
    Conference
• Oklahoma Higher Education Teaching and
    Learning Conference
• Pennsylvania State System of Higher
    Education and Society of Teaching
    Scholars Conference on Advancing
    Teaching in College Classrooms and
    Campus Cultures (State College)
• Personnel Testing Council of Metropolitan
    Washington
• Texas Association of Developing Colleges
• Texas Teacher Education Conference
• Wisconsin Technical College System
    (Green Bay)  

HIGHER EDUCATION

International Universities

• Humboldt University of Berlin Medical School (Germany)
• Leiden University Medical Center (The Netherlands)
• McMaster University (CA)
• Northern Alberta Institute of Technology (CA)
• Norwegian University of Science and Technology (Norway)
• Southern Alberta  Institute of Technology (CA)
• Umea University (Sweden)
• United Arab Emirates University Faculty of Medicine (UAE)
• University of British Columbia (CA)
• University of Calgary (CA)
• University of Edinburgh Medical School (Scotland, UK)
• University of Lisbon Faculty of Science (Portugal)
• University of Novi Sad Faculty of Medicine (Serbia)
• University of Twente (The Netherlands)
• Vrije Universiteit of Amsterdam (The Netherlands)

US Colleges and Universities

• Adrian College
• Aquinas College
• Belmont University
• Brigham Young University
• Concordia University
• Cornell University
• Drexel University
• Georgetown University
• Georgia Institute of Technology
• Grand Valley State University
• Hofstra University
• Indiana University
• Indiana University-East
• Indiana University of PA
• Iona College
• John A. Logan College
• Kennesaw State University
• Loyola College
• Miami University (OH)
• Michigan State University
• Middle Tennessee State University
• New Mexico State University
• Northeastern State University
• Oklahoma Christian University
• Robert Morris College
• Rowan University
• Siena Heights University
• Southern Indiana University
• SUNY at Geneseo
• University of Buffalo
• University of Colorado (Boulder)
• University of Florida
• University of Southern Indiana
• Upper Iowa University
• Virginia Commonwealth University
• Walsh University
• Weber State University

Community and Technical Colleges

• Aiken Technical College (SC)
• Anne Arundel Community College (MD)
• Central Florida Community College (FL)
• Carroll Community College (MD)
• Florida Community College (FL)
• Harford Community College (MD)
• Harrisburg Community College (PA)
• Hudson Valley Community College (NY)
• Indian River Community College (FL)
• Jefferson Community & Technical College (KY)
• Lone Star College-Montgomery (TX)
• Metropolitan Community College (NE)
• Mott Community College (MI)
• Northampton Community College (PA)
• Oakton Community College (IL)
• Sinclair Community College (OH)
• St. Paul Technical College (MN)
• Valencia Community College (FL)